The number of women running FTSE 100 companies looks set to soar this week – although the 33% rise is coming from a pretty pathetic base.

The odds-on promotion of newly privatised Royal Mail to the blue-chip index will add the name of Canadian Moya Greene, the postal service's boss, to the three other women currently running FTSE 100 firms: Carolyn McCall at easyJet, Angela Ahrendts at Burberry and Alison Cooper at Imperial Tobacco.

Yes, it's FTSE reshuffle time, when Madame Tussauds owner Merlin Entertainments has an outside chance of getting another FTSE slot, while estate agent Foxtons looks set to join the FTSE 250. All three firms have seen their shares boom following recent flotations, although the 80% rise in the Royal Mail price dwarfs the 11% premium the market has put on Merlin stock, and the 28% rise in Foxtons' share price.

Anyway, Greene's blue-chip arrival pushes the count back towards the peak reached during the previous decade, when the FTSE 100 could boast five female bosses – although that hardly represents parity either.

Meanwhile, the elevation of the capable Canadian also fails to pass this page's favourite test of sexual equality in City recruitment: that's when a woman who's clearly incompetent can land the top job.

Now Sports Direct is in the Premier League too

Considering he came up with the idea of flogging pink baby jogging suits emblazoned with the boxing brand Lonsdale, it is perfectly rational that Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley should always have shied away from public appearances.

Apart from showing up to watch Newcastle United, the Premier League team he owns, Britain's answer to the reclusive tycoon Howard Hughes tends to keep a low profile and, to his credit, rarely seems to wants to cosy up to the retail industry or the City.

Dave Whelan, the chairman of Wigan Athletic football club and former boss of the former JJB chain, mistook Ashley for a gardener when they first met, before reportedly telling him: "There's a club in the north, son, and you're not part of it."

Well, he is now – and it's bigger than the Latics. Sports Direct has bloomed into a FTSE 100 company whose prospects just seem to get better and better. The company will report half-year results on Thursday, and the City is again expecting more good news.

Sales have been booming, while rents have been squeezed, in a low-key move of the kind that often goes unnoticed. Much like Ashley.

Superdry doubters see it as a damp squib

SuperGroup, the retailer and owner of the fashion brand Superdry, floated in 2010 and the shares soared – before crashing after a series of profit warnings due to logistics issues and accounting misstatements. Shareholders have seen their investments recover rather nicely since though, and the shares now trade 140% higher than the listing price, after the company managed to kick its addiction to rookie mistakes while also strengthening its management.

Nonetheless, it is intriguing to speculate how much the shares could have gained without the nagging suspicion that the old tendency towards farce might return.

Before the company's half-year results this week, broker Liberum mused: "We need a little more time to get comfortable with the growth strategy, both in the UK and in Europe before we turn more positive … we need to be convinced that the foundations of the business are sound."

The fear is that, in the UK, the company has been opening loads of stores that might not be brilliant long-term investments. Meanwhile, the expansion overseas looks patchy (there is now a store in Panama City) which can give the impression that the company could be making it up as it goes along. Much like the old days.